There were Stark County connections to the 1972 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game between the New York Giants and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Not the least of these ties was Wayne Rudy, a Canton native who was in his 12th year as head trainer for the Chiefs, who was pictured in The Repository checking the ankle wrap of a rookie linebacker on the team — Keith Best, a Canton Lincoln High School graduate who also played for Kansas State University.

But, perhaps the most familiar connection to the Hall of Fame Game four decades ago was the name and face of one of the players in it.

“The Chiefs, loaded with veterans including Alliance’s Len Dawson,” said The Rep’s pre-game reporting, “should take the Giants by a touchdown or two in the 4:05 battle that will be viewed by some 19,500 fans and nationally televised by ABC-TV with the coloring up being done by Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford and Don Meredith.”

Dawson, a star with the Aviators who went on to stand out in the Big 10 at Purdue University, was quarterback for the Chiefs and a legend to local residents attending the game. That game was special to the hometown athlete, as well, The Repository said.

“Dawson, you see, would like to ‘show’ his fans in this area a thing or two — that he still has a lot of mileage left after 15 seasons in which he has passed for more than 20,000 yards, connected on 220 touchdown passes and guided the Chiefs to three division championships, four playoffs and two Super Bowl games.”

Dawson was returning home a champion.

“Len is looking forward to the Hall of Fame game,” said Bob Sprenger, the Chiefs’ publicist the week before the game was played. “He’s in the best of shape and still has the desire.”

Alas, the head of the Chiefs’ huddle didn’t star in the game when it unfolded.

“Alliance’s Len Dawson couldn’t ring up touchdowns, so the Kansas City Chiefs put Saturday afternoon’s Hall of Fame battle smack dab in the hands of Mike Livingston,” observed Repository sports writer Charlie Powell. “The 26-year-old product of Southern Methodist, relief pitcher for one of the game’s premier quarterbacks, didn’t let them down. He ran for 39 yards on a broken pass play for one score, erasing a 10-6 deficit, and threw for another as the more experienced, more composed Chiefs beat the New York Giants 23-17.”

Dawson, who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns before heading to the Chiefs, still would prove that, yes, you can go home again.

After playing for three more years with the Chiefs, Dawson was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 1987.